Word Study for G1159 (δαπανάω)

dapanáō /dap-an-ah'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom δαπάνη

Meaningto expend, i.e. (in a good sense) to incur cost, or (in a bad one) to waste

KJV usagebe at charges, consume, spend.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dapanáō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word dapanáō, represented by G1159, means to expend. It is used in scripture in both a good sense, to incur a cost for a specific purpose, and in a bad sense, to waste or consume. This term appears 5 times across 5 unique verses, illustrating the different motivations and outcomes associated with spending one's resources.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G1159 captures a spectrum of expenditure. In a negative context, it describes wasting resources on selfish desires, as when believers ask God for things to "consume it upon" their lusts James 4:3. It also depicts the prodigal son who "had spent all" and consequently fell into a state of want Luke 15:14. A more neutral, though still negative, use is found in the account of the woman who "had spent all that she had" on physicians to no benefit Mark 5:26. In contrast, a positive application is seen when Paul is instructed to "be at charges with them" to cover the costs of a purification vow, a purposeful religious expense Acts 21:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and consequences of the act of spending:

G1550 ekdapanáō (to expend (wholly), i.e. (figuratively) exhaust): This word is used alongside G1159 in 2 Corinthians 12:15, where Paul declares he will gladly "spend and be spent," intensifying the idea of a complete and willing expenditure for others.
G2237 hēdonḗ (sensual delight; by implication, desire): This term reveals the motivation behind the wasteful spending in James 4:3, where resources are consumed upon selfish "lusts" or pleasures.
G5302 hysteréō (to fall short (be deficient)... be in want): This word describes the direct consequence of the prodigal son's reckless spending, as he began "to be in want" after consuming all he had Luke 15:14.
G2395 iatrós (a physician): This identifies the recipients of the woman's futile spending in Mark 5:26, where she gave all her resources to many "physicians" but was not healed.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1159 lies in its focus on stewardship and motive. The use of one's resources is presented as a moral and spiritual issue.

Selfish Consumption: The act of spending becomes sinful when its purpose is to satisfy selfish "lusts," which results in unanswered prayer and spiritual barrenness James 4:3. The story of the prodigal son further illustrates that wasting resources leads to destitution Luke 15:14.
Sacrificial Giving: In stark contrast, Paul presents the ideal form of expenditure as a joyful and complete giving of oneself for the benefit of others. He is willing to "very gladly spend and be spent" for the Corinthian believers 2 Corinthians 12:15.
Purposeful Expenditure: Spending resources can also be a righteous act when directed toward fulfilling religious or community obligations, such as when paying the charges for men undertaking a vow Acts 21:24.

Summary

In summary, G1159 is a versatile word whose meaning is defined by the intent behind the action. It moves beyond a simple financial transaction to become a marker of character. Whether resources are wasted on fleeting pleasures, spent in a futile search for help, or sacrificially given for the good of others, the term highlights the critical importance of how believers expend what they have been given.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 2nd Plural 1×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 5 of the 27 books. 5 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 22.

Mark

Luke

Acts

2 Corinthians

James

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.